Trump Approval Drops to Second-Term Low Amid Iran War
Cover image from slate.com, which was analyzed for this article
A New York Times/Siena poll showed Trump's approval sinking amid public fatigue with the Iran conflict and rising costs. Economic discontent is weighing on voter support.
PoliticalOS
Monday, May 18, 2026 — Politics
The poll records majority opposition to the Iran war and a 37 percent approval rating for Trump, yet Republican voters remain strongly supportive of continuing operations. Midterm prospects for the GOP have worsened while Democrats still register low overall satisfaction among voters.
What outlets missed
The poll showed 70 percent of Republicans still want military operations to resume if talks fail, a level of core support that received little attention outside the original survey release. No outlet detailed the specific nuclear-site targets struck since late February or any measurable progress reported by U.S. officials. The 27 percent of Republicans who oppose unilateral presidential war powers was noted only in passing and not compared with historical GOP positions on executive authority.
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